Anglican First here, for the first time in a long, long time. You may remember me as the Texas Anglo-Catholic who disagrees with most posts here.

To bring you up to date, my wife died. Her daughter and I made possible a $60K upgrade to our pipe organ in her memory. The dedication concert, part of an evensong, was magnificent! You can hear it at the church web site. Google St. Paul's, Gainesville TX, and look under "choir." MaryAnn, who now rests in the church columbarium and sang for many years in the choir, was very pleased I know.

All that said, after some time I married again, a high school (Class of 1953) class mate. Unfortunately, she is allergic to incense, which is used every Sunday, and objects to some of our popish ways. She mentioned as an example kissing the Bible. But she is Methodist, which is next best.

Of all the now missing correspondents, I most miss BritLit, a voice of moderation who could even temper the most outspoken of us.

Anglican First here, for the first time in a long, long time. You may remember me as the Texas Anglo-Catholic who disagrees with most posts here.

To bring you up to date, my wife died. Her daughter and I made possible a $60K upgrade to our pipe organ in her memory. The dedication concert, part of an evensong, was magnificent! You can hear it at the church web site. Google St. Paul's, Gainesville TX, and look under "choir." MaryAnn, who now rests in the church columbarium and sang for many years in the choir, was very pleased I know.

All that said, after some time I married again, a high school (Class of 1953) class mate. Unfortunately, she is allergic to incense, which is used every Sunday, and objects to some of our popish ways. She mentioned as an example kissing the Bible. But she is Methodist, which is next best.

Of all the now missing correspondents, I most miss BritLit, a voice of moderation who could even temper the most outspoken of us.

Grant

Hi Grant,

Good to hear from you. I checked out the upgraded organ at St. Paul's and it sounds great. Do you know what brand it is?

Sounds like life is working for you.

Bob

Robert J. McElwain

"The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." (Supposedly)Thomas Jefferson

"He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral."St. Thomas Aquinas

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. Plato

The English organ was built in 1937 by the Wickes Company of Oklahoma and originally installed in a church in Ardmore, Oklahoma. It had five ranks and 365 pipes. The Ardmore church ceased to be and Saint Paul's acqjired the organ in the 1970s. The renovation and upgrade brought the organ to ten ranks with more than double the original number of pipes. The organ builder, John Dill, by seeking all over the U.S., was able to find 1937 Wickes Pipes for all the new ones.

Here are some interesting asides. First, our present organist's first organ, when she was just a youngster, was this one at a Christian Science church in Oklahoma. Then for a career of decades she was organist at St. Phillips, Episcopalian, in Ardmore. A new priest at St. Phillips decided to go with a praise band instead of an organ, casting the organist adrift, at the time we needed a traditional Anglican organist. She came home to her original church organ. Second, when the organist of First Presbyterian, Gainesville, which has a very decent organ, came to the dedication concert of the MaryAnn Carson Memorial Organ, she wept when she heard it.

That Wickes sounds a lot like the first organ I played, back when I was in high school. I don't remember what kind it was. I'm pretty certain yours is an older instrument. I'm glad instruments like that are being taken care of. They're too good to lose.

So now you're a Methodist?

Robert J. McElwain

"The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government." (Supposedly)Thomas Jefferson

"He who is not angry when there is just cause for anger is immoral."St. Thomas Aquinas

One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. Plato

It's complicated. When I married Shirley, she had her home, church, friends and relatives in Alabama, and I had mine in Texas. So now we commute between Texas and Alabama, mostly depending upon who has the next medical appointment. When in Texas I sing with St. Paul's, and Shirley attends FUMC. When in Alabama, I sing with West Point FUMC, the only church in the area with SATB choir, and Shirley attends Lanett FUMC. So, call me Methodan or Anglidist!

Grant

PS: At our marriage counseling session we told the minister, "Between us we have over a hundred years of married experience. What do you want to know?"